"دليل بلاد فارس، الجزء III، وهو يتضمن محافظة فارس، لورستان، عربستان، خوزستان، يزد، كرمانشاه، أردلان، كردستان" [ظ‎‎١‎٧‎٧] (٦٨٦/٣٥٩)

332
KAR-KAR
into the Shatt-ul-Arab by an artificial canal called the Hafar. Such
are at present the only outlets of this river. The Bahr-ul-Mashir is
about 40 miles in length, and has a good navigable channel to its
junction with the sea, of not less than 9 feet at low water, being
above half a mile in width. Its general course is south-south-east.
Its entrance is at low water during spring tides more than 3 fathoms
deep, and, therefore, practicable for ships of large burden. Its hanks
are hut little inhabited, as its water, being often mixed with the tides
from the Persian Gulf, is generally salt. The canal from the Karun
to the Shatt-ul-Arab, now generally called the Hafar, is about 3f miles
in length, 200 to 400 yards in breadth, and a depth varying from 30
or 40 feet of water, and receives probably about three-fifths of the
waters of the river. It has evidently, since the time of its construc
tion, increased considerably, in size, and must, from the nature of the
soil and from the force with which the tide enters the Bahr-ul-Mashir
operating as a check upon the free discharge of the waters of the river
by that mouth, be daily enlarged. There is depth of water in this
canal for vessels of any burden. On it is situated the town of Mu-
hammarah. Its banks, like those of the Shatt-ul-Arab, are clothed
with palm-groves. The tide ascends in the Karun for a few miles
above Rubain(?)ibn-Yakub.
The difference in temperature between the Shatt-ul-Arab and the
Karun is very remarkable, Lieutenant Selby having found the former
in the month of August to be 96°, while the latter, not 200 yards
distant, was under 80°. The Karun is perfectly easy of navigation at
all seasons for vessels drawing 4 feet of water, and admirably adapted
for steam communication from the sea to within 6 miles from Shustar.
Both banks of the river are abundantly wooded, and fuel could conse
quently be found anywhere, but the places which seem best suited for
fuel stations, from their being the constant locality of Arabs, appear to
be Kala Idrisiah, 18 hours' steaming above Muhammarah ; Ahwaz,
16 hours above Idrisiah; BandakI, 10 hours above Ahw r az; thence to
Shustar is only 8 hours. It is probable that if once arrangements were
perfected, river steamers, such as are now made, could easily ascend to
Shustar in two days, steaming from Muhammarah.
{Kinneir — Chesney — Layard—Selby — Rawlinson.)
Extract from Report by P. Robertson (1S76).
“ Half an hour after leaving Fellahlah we came to the entrance to
the Karun. This mouth is called the Hafar. It is said to have been
originally a canal dug to connect the Karun with the Euphrates.
However this may be, it is now the main stream, about three-fourths
of the water of the Karun passing by it into the Shatt-ul-Arab, while
a fourth goes to the Persian Gulf by the other mouth called the Bahr-
ul-Mashir. The town of Muhammarah stands on the north bank
of the Hafar, half a mile up it.
A mile above Muhammarah the Karun divides, part of its waters
going by the Hafar, and part by the Bahr-ul-Mashir. The Hafar has
a uniform depth of 30 feet, its breadth being about 250 yards.